Thanks to this forum I am off to a good start on my oven project. I started on 8/3 and have poured the slab, erected the stand, poured the hearth and the vermicrete in two weeks! I have everything I need lined up, just need to transport the firebricks and start sawing. I will use homebrew mortar and loose vermiculite in some type of house enclosure. I'm planning on having the dome/landing/vent completed by early Sept. I put together an indispensable tool and bought a beefy looking 10" saw with stand from Menard's for $250. I was able to get "redi-mix" delivered to the build site for $140 per yard. No muss, no fuss, no mixing; just screed and trowel.

I need to finalize the design for my vent in the next couple of days, I'm leaning toward a square interior opening using angle iron with an exterior arch of some type.

Anyone in the area is welcome to come and check my project out, it is safe because most of the grunt work is done. I am primarily a bread baker, I started out thinking I would build a barrel vault oven a la "Bread Builders". I seldom bake more than 10 loaves at a time and a quicker heat up and simplier design pulled me toward the round oven.

I should be taking more pictures, but I am pretty focused on laying bricks. I will be gone next week and want to have all of the brick work done so that it can dry while I'm gone.

I have reached the limit of my indispenable tool and plan to switch to supporting the final rings with a wok tomorrow. The wok is 24" but it fits snugly through the 20" arch, I'm not sure how I will support it yet. I'm not sure if anyone else has used an upside down wok to finish their dome, so I will share pictures tomorrow.

The only real problem I've had is matching up the dome to the arch. It took me a few tries and a few wasted firebricks, but I've got it now and it looks okay. Weather here has turned cool (with rain).

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